96.7%
geographic coverage, 4G LTE services
96.6%
population coverage, 4G LTE services
81%
mobile phone penetration
1,067,077
Mobile Payment subscribers (2018)
89
government services offered online
100%
of health centers connected to Internet
Key achievements
ICT is a cross-cutting enabler for development. As such, tracking of implementation of ICT programmes requires factoring in activities and contributions from various sectors.
Every year, the ICT sector profile makes a compilation of indicators that have been selected to measure Rwanda’s ICT sector performance and track ICT for Development programmes which will guide the implementation of current national policies and strategies, as well as to facilitate the formulation of new policies and strategies for further uptake of ICT.
This compilation provides a holistic picture with data collected from sectors such as Governance, Health, Education, Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Justice, Finance, and the private sector. A particular emphasis is placed on tracking the current adoption and use of key ICT systems, services, and solutions in the above-mentioned sectors to showcase ICT evolution trends in Rwanda.
ICT in Telecommunication
Mobile Phone and Internet Penetration
Technological evolution and healthy competition among technology vendors, telecom operators, and service providers over the years have contributed to a continuous decrease in the price for accessing voice and data services, as well for obtaining accessibility devices such as feature phones and smartphones. The improved affordability has directly contributed to increasing mobile phone and Internet penetration in the country. Internet penetration 2011-2018 Mobile cellular phone telephone subscriptions ICT.
Broadband access: 4G LTE deployment
With a focus on 4G LTE deployment, 4G LTE service currently surpasses 3G and 3.5G services. As of end 2018, Rwanda enjoys 96.7% geographic coverage and 96.6% population coverage for 4G LTE, while 3G and 3.5G services remained at 93.37% population coverage. Deployment of LTE technology in Rwanda has opened up new opportunities for innovative services and applications, as well as provided opportunities to improve existing businesses.
ICT in Finance (Toward Cashless Economy)
Electronic Financial Transactions
In line with its ICT outreach efforts, Rwanda is actively promoting e-Payment for all levels of financial transactions. Specific outreach activities include promotion of ICT enabled Government and banking services, providing specific ICT tools to facilitate e-payment (e.g. Rwanda National Digital Payment System/RNDPS, Shared Agency Banking System) and instituting conducive strategies and policies (e.g. Rwanda Payment System Strategy, National Fintech Strategy, Regulatory Sandbox for innovative Fintech solutions).
These efforts are responsible for much of the rapid acceptance of electronic financial services and the adoption of e-transactions, with electronic financial services increasingly playing a crucial role in transforming business processes in Rwanda. Meanwhile, citizens’ welfare is being improved through new innovations in the financial sector. Such innovations include:
- “Save”, a mobile group saving/lending platform that allows its users to save and borrow at a low interest rate, without going through more rigorous financial lending processes;
- “Faranga”, an app that allows users to make mobile money transactions to individuals and merchants, and provides them with insights into their spending habits;
- “eKash”, a USSD-based platform which enables seamless transactions to individuals and merchants across multiple financial providers.
Mobile Payments
As of 2018, the number of mobile payment subscribers across all mobile network operators has reached 11,067,077 from 9,912,735 users in 2017; a 12% increase in total subscribers. The steady growth of subscribers reflects growing use of these services within various sectors.
In December 2018, the total number of values transacted through mobile payment reached RWF1.808 billion, a 31% increase from 2017 (RWF1.384 billion). This figure represents approximately ¼ of Rwanda’s GDP, reflecting consumers’ rapidly changing economic behaviour and increasing willingness in using mobile services and non-cash instruments for such services as financial account creation, money transfer, money deposits, and payments.
Mobile Money Agents
The network of mobile money agents is rapidly growing, reaching 107,858 in 2018 from 83,531 from 2017 (a 37.9% increase). These agents are the first contact of financial services for the citizenry, especially in rural areas with limited access to financial institutions.
ATM and POS transactions/volume
The number of points of sale (POS) terminals increased by 33% (from 2,104 in 2017 to 2,801 in 2018). This increase was due to high demand from merchants like hotels and other retail entities. Meanwhile, the number of ATM terminals decreased by 6% (from 406 to 383), suggesting increased adoption of mobile-based transactions in lieu of traditional cash.
The number of debit cards issued increased by 18% (from 746,458 in 2016 to 883,755 in 2018). In the same period, POS transactions increased by 140% (from 660,746 to 1,588,639) with a corresponding 106% increase in value from RWF41.5 billion to RWF85.4 billion. This was a result of strong partnership between banks and local telecom operators. Rwanda has also seen an increase in international electronic transaction platforms, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, China Union Pay, Dinners Club, and Japanese Credit Bureau.
ICT in Tax and Revenue Payment
The introduction of e-filling and e-payment has led to increased compliance and reduction of transaction costs for both the tax administration and taxpayers.
More enterprises are now using their mobile devices to declare and pay taxes using mobile money platforms. The number of taxpayers using online tax filling increased by 12% (from 113,479 in 2017 to 126,838 in 2018). The growing use of Electronic Billing Machines (EBMs) among vendors has improved revenue collection and management and reduced transaction times. It has also streamlined document auditing, thereby minimizing errors and frauds.
Affiliated Agencies
MINICT has a vision to foster ICT development and diffusion in the Rwandan Society and Economy. To achieve its mission, the Ministry works closely with the following affiliated agencies in the implementation of its policies and programs.
